Experts predict that by 2040 that at least 80% of the cars and trucks on Oklahoma highways will be electric vehicles. Mustang Rep. Brian Hill wants the state to be prepared with the challenges of EV traffic and recently as part of an interim study held by the State House of Representatives.
The Tuttle Times reported Rep. Hill wants to make sure the state is well aware of the electric vehicle market.
“We need to make sure that as the market increases in Oklahoma that we have a balanced system for funding our roads and bridges,” he said in an interview with the paper.
The hearing was entitled “Transportation Electrification: Planning Considerations for Oklahoma.” About 5,000 electric vehicles are registered in the state, according to the legislator.
“The experts believe that will be rapidly increasing over the next two decades,” he said.
“With all this work that has been done in Oklahoma to improve our roads and bridges, we need to make sure that we have a system in place, so that we do not cease that vital work, because we will need to have adequate revenue coming in from the use on our roads.”
Gas and diesel users pay taxes which are used for road and bridge improvements. But EV users don’t pay such taxes on the power they use to travel down the same highways and bridges.
Rep. Hill is concerned enough that he has been meeting with industry experts, stakeholders, the Secretary of Energy, Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Tax Commission.
“The experts believe that we will see that number grow exponentially over the next 10 years to half a million vehicles or more,” he explained. “Also, 40% of all the traffic on our interstates and highways is out-of-state traffic, so we have to also figure out how we’re going to deal with that.”
Source: Tuttle Times.